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Wickr uses purr-fect cat GIFs to teach us about online security

Staying safe online is getting more difficult. Wickr's guide to online security teaches us how to be safe, using something we can all understand: cat GIFs.

This trippy cat wants you to wipe your old phone when getting a new one, so the new owner doesn't get your personal info. Wickr

If there's anything on the Internet we can all relate to, it's pictures and videos of cats. The top-secret messaging service Wickr has released a guide to online security using trippy GIFs of cats.

The guide, which can be found at this link, features tips like covering your computer camera right meow, wiping your old phone when you upgrade to a mew one, and always assuming that getting hacked while on public Wi-Fi is a real paws-ibility. These tips are set to animated images of kitties in space, because everyone loves cat videos and GIFs. Most of the tips are useful, though the one where you shouldn't post your birthday on Facebook, to prevent identity theft, seems a bit over the top.

The guide is very obviously intended to promote the Wickr app, including its newly launched Wickr Timed Feed that lets you post purr-sonal images to Facebook privately. When a visitor lands on your page, they'll see an image of a kitten instead of your personal images -- only those you want to view a particular photo will see it. We're always a bit wary of these PR stunts, but cat GIFs promoting decent security tips was too cute to pass up.

Check out all of Wickr's security tips in the company's guide. Even if you don't follow any of their advice, you'll still have spent a few minutes tripping out to cat GIFs, which you probably would have done anyway.

Trippy kitty wants you to turn off Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi when you're not using them. Wickr